THE CHEMICAL LABORATORY OF THE NIKOLA PUSHKAROV INSTITUTE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A004200190003-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 3, 2010
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: May 18, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/02/03: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA004200190003-2
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
This Document contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States, within the mean-
ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794, of the U.S. Code, as
amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorized person is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form is prohibited.
SECRET/CONTROL--U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
COUNTRY . Bulgaria
PLACE ACQUIRED
The Chemical Laboratory of the
Nikola Pushkarov Institute
REPORT
DATE DISTR. 18 May 1954
NO. OF PAGES 3
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
REFERENCES
This is UNEVALUATED Information
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
The Nikola Pushkarov Institute, which is affiliated with the Bulgarian Academy
of Science, is located on 9 Septemvriy Street, in the Pavlovo district of Sofia.
Two chemical laboratories for soil research are affiliated with the institute,
one at the institute and the other at 4 Serdika Street.
2. The laboratory at Serdika Street was established in 1947 to do soil research for
Hydroenergoproekt, a planning institute of the Ministry of Electricity. Ten
million leva were allocated from the budget of the Ministry of Electricity for
establishing the laboratory, and the greater part of the laboratory s equipment
was acquired with this sum, including the followings
a. Four special electric ovens for drying soil samples, two of Czechoslovakian
and two of German manufacture.
b. Four installations for chemical examination of soil, designed by the former
director of the laboratory and made in Bulgaria.
c. Fourteen analytic balances of 1/10,000 grams sensitivity, four of
Czechoslovakian and ten of Bulgarian manufacture.
3. The staff of the laboratory consisted of the director, three agronomists, a
photographer, and approximately 25 laboratory assistants, most of whom are women.
Bukureshliev (fnu), the first director, was a well-known soil research expert and
had written about 50 scientific books. He was arrested and tried in July 1952
and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
4? Prior to mid-1949 the laboratory's work was restricted to soil research for
Hydroenergoproekt. Research was performed in various parts of the country with
an eye to water reservoir and irrigation projects. In mid-1949 the laboratory
was placed under the Ministry of Agriculture, under which it has since worked.
It was subordinated administratively to the Nikola Pushkarov Institute.
[STATE X IARMY
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The laboratory follows the system of the Soviet scientist Kachinski in its
research. The fundamentals of Kachinski's system, in order of activity, are as
follows:
a. Samples of three to five kilograms of soil are taken from each 1,000 square
meters of the area under examination.
b. Pits are dug at the same spot where the dry samples were taken, and the sides
of the pit are boarded up. The pits have a surface measurement of one or two
square meters and a depth of five to ten centimeters.
c. A large, measured quantity of water is poured into each pit.
d. Absorption capacity is measured over a two-hour period, with readings being
taken at frequent intervals. If absorption takes place too rapidly, the pit
is covered with straw or some like material, and more water is added.
e. The boards are removed from the pits 24 hours later, and a ditch is dug in
the moist pit. The ditch is usually 80 to 90 centimeters wide, 1.20 to 1.50
meters long, and two meters deep. Five to twelve samples are taken from each
layer of soil from the pit, each sample of six cubic centimeters. The samples
are put in hermetically -sealed glass containers and then sent with the dry
samples to the laboratory for chemical analysis.
6. All this work is carried out by experts from the laboratory under the personal
supervision of the director of the laboratory. A photographer from the laboratory
photographs each stage of the work at every pit, and each pit is photographed from
all sides to ensure a clear picture of the different layers of soil. The
photographs are then enlarged in the laboratory so that research workers may compare
them with the results of the chemical analysis. Photographs are normally in black
and white, but some experiments were made in 1953 to use color film.
7. From 1947 to late 1952 the following sites were examined:
a. Extensive areas in the Samokov subdistrict in connection with a proposed
reservoir.
b. The entire area between Kyustendil and the Yugoslav border for agricultural
purposes.
c. The entire area within an approximate radius of 15 miles from Sofia.
d. Several sites near Pazardzhik.
e. Sites in the Stara Zagora and Kazanluk districts. The entire area between
Opan (N 42-12, E 25-42) and Stara Zagora was examined.
8. In late 1951 both the staff and activity of the laboratory were reduced. The
first and third floors of the building were turned over to the use of,a chemical
institute, IeavLng only the second floor for the soil research laboratory.
9. The following personalities are known:
a. Kiril Enikov; director of the Nikola Pushkarov Institute.
b. Khadzhiolov (fnu)1 director of the Institute of Histology and professor at the
Mani ca.l Academy in Sofia studied in Germany~_7 25X1
c. Dr. Kaimov succeeded Professor Stranski as professor on the Faculty of Agronomy.
d. Todor Pavl president of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, is a professor
of history
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ea Ivan Stranski, director of a second institute for soil research at
studied in the USSR and Germany,
Comments ? Probably Asen Khadzhiolov,,,
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Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/02/03: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA004200190003-2